gereckey



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W. GEREOKEY, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, AS SIGNOB OF TWO-FIFTHS TOANDREW O. SOHAFER, OF SAME PLACE.

METALLIC RAILROAD-TIE AND RAIL-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,565, dated January31, 1899.

Application filed July 1, 1898. Serial No. 684,988. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. GERECKEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railroad-Ties andRail-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmetallic railroad-ties and rail-fasteners therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap and effective metallictie and rail-fastener which can be quickly and securely applied, therail-fastening serving not only to hold the rail to the tie, but alsoacting as a reinforcement for the vertical side pieces of the tie.

The invention consists in the combination, with a metallic tie havingvertical side pieces with undercut recesses, of a rail support andfastener comprising a bed-plate with a raised central portion in whichis formed a recess for the reception of a spring, a pair of side plateswith rail-clamps, and means for holding the parts in place, as will behereinafter set forth.

The invention further consists in the con-I struction and combination ofthe parts, as will be specifically claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure l is aperspective View showing one end of a railroad-tie with railfasteningapplied thereto, the rail being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is asectional View taken transversely through the tie and longitudinallythrough the bed-plate. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through therailfastening, taken parallel with the tie; and Fig. 4 is a plan view ofthe bed-plate of the rail-fastener detached.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a metallic railway-tie, made upso as to present a base and vertical side pieces, which are integral.The tie may be produced by casting or rolling, and the side pieces Ahave formed in the upper edges recesses a a, with undercut side wallsand horizontal bases. The length of the recesses is greater in one ofthe side pieces of the tie than in the other side piece.

B refers to a base-plate which is tapered longitudinally and providednear its ends with shoulders or offsets b b, the longitudinal edges ofthe plate from the shoulders I) being beveled to engage with theundercut sides of the recesses in the side flanges A of the tie A. Theplate B is provided centrally with a raised wall B, having verticalinner and outer edges, the sides and ends thereof being parallel. Thisraised wall provides a recess for the reception of a spring 0. The sidesand one of the end walls provide shoulders which extend above the planeof the plate 13 and against which wedge shaped plates D D abut. Theplate B is provided adjacent to the ends of the portion B with aperturesb b which are out of line with the shoulders I) Z) a distance equal tothe thickness of the vertical walls of thetie A, and through theseapertures or openings are passed pins 19 b the one adjacent to the widerend of the plate engaging the inner face of one of the vertical walls ofthe tie, the other engaging the outer face of the other wall. The pinsnot only hold the base-plate in engagement with the tie as againstlongitudinal movement, but also connect the plate to the tie, so as toprevent the side walls thereof spreading, so that one wall willreinforce the other. The beveled edges of the plate and the undercutside walls of the recesses in the tie will prevent vertical displacementof the base-plate B. The upper face of the baseplate adjacent to itswider end, which projects laterally beyond the tie, has formed therein agroove or depression I), one end of which inclines, as is shown in Fig.3.

The rail-retaining plates D D are provided with straight inner edges andshoulders cl d, the straight edges abutting against the outer edge ofthe raised portion of the base-plate B, and adjacent to the shouldersthe plates D D are cut away, so that they will escape or clear the headof the pin 1). The wider ends of the plates D D have shoulders 01, whichengage with the vertical side walls of the tie, and these plates arealso provided with an aperture or groove (1, which registers with thatin the under plate. The plate D has an opening therethrough,which joinsthe recess,and when the parts are assembled a locking-pin E is passedthrough this opening and prevents the plates B D D being movedlongitudinally. The locking-pin may have its end upset, so as to preventthe withdrawal of the same.

The plates D D each carry two or more proj ecting portions orrail-retaining lugs (Z which are adapted to engage with the base-flangeof the rail. These lugs may be integral with the plate or boltedthereon.

In practice the tie is sunk in the roadway and the trough is filled withballast, the baseplate B is caused to engage with the recesses in theside pieces of the tie, and when the pins are passed through theapertures in the baseplate and engage with the vertical sides of the tiethe opposite sides will be engaged by the shoulders I) I), thusproviding means for holding the base-plate in place and at the same timebracing the sides of the tie. hen the spring has been placed in therecess, the rail may be placed upon the base-plate, and thefastening-plates D D,which carry the rail-retaining lugs, are placed inposition so that the projecting portions on their wider ends will engagethe tie, the beveled edges of said plate contacting with the undercutedges of the recess, and when so placed the rail will lie over the upperplates and the lugs will engage with the base-fiange of the rail. Thelocking-pin E when driven home will hold the parts together. It will henoted that the heads of the pins are located under the rail, so thatthey cannot be removed when the rail is in place, also that the springbears upon the rail and imparts to the fastening device a certainresiliency, the resistance of the spring being such that upon thepassage of rolling-stock it will bend flush with the upper edges of theplates. The device may be modified in construction so as to render itapplicable to curves, switches, &c.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A metallic tie having vertical sides with undercut recesses in theupper edges thereof, said recesses being of a greater length on one sideof the tie than on the other, in combination with alongitudinally-tapered base-plate provided with beveled edges forengagement with the recesses in the side pieces of the tie and shoulderswhich engage with the side walls of the tie adjacent to said recesses,substantially as set forth.

2. A metallic railroad-tie and rail-support, consisting of a tie havingvertical side pieces with undercut recesses in the side walls thereof, abase-plate having beveled edges and shoulders which engage with the tie,apertures through the base-plate for the passage of retaining-pins andupper plates with railretaining lugs and means for securing the upperplates to the base-plate as to longitudinal movement of the parts,substantially as shown.

3. In combination with a metallic tie, constructed substantially asshown, of a baseplate held in engagement therewith, a pair ofwedge-shaped plates which are adapted to engage with the tie above thebase-plate, the wedge-shaped plates having rail-retaining lugs,substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with a metallic tie havin g vertical side walls, theupper edges thereof being provided with recesses, the sides of saidrecesses being undercut, a base-plate having beveled edges andshoulders, said plate having a raised central wall, apertures adjacentthereto and out of line with the shoulders and a groove or recess in oneof the ends which project beyond the side walls of the tie, of taperedplates D D with beveled edges for engagement with the side walls of therecesses in the tie and straight edges for engagement with the centrallyprojecting portion of the base-plate, rail-retaining lugs carried bysaid plates and a transverse recess in one of the plates and an aperturein the other for the passage of a locking-pin E, a spring adapted to beretained by the raised wall of the base-plate, the parts being organizedsubstantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination with a railroad-tie, a base-plate provided with araised central portion said plate being held in engagement with the tie,a pair of wedges having rail-retaining lugs, the wedges engaging withthe walls of the raised central portion of the base-plate and with thetie, substantially as shown.

6. In combination with a railroad-tie, a railsupport or base-plateprovided adjacent to its opposite ends with shoulders for engagementwith the side walls of the tie, apertures out of line with the shouldersand lockingpins which pass through said apertures and engage theopposite vertical walls of the tie from those engaged by the shoulders,the base-plate having a central portion of greater thickness than theside portions beyond, substantially as shown.

7. A metallic railroad-tie having a recess with undercut side walls forengagement therewith of a base-plate and rail-retaining plates orwedges, in combination with a baseplate having a central portion ofgreater thickness than the other partsthereof, and wedges havingrail-retaining lugs, substantially as shown and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LOUIS IV. GEREOKEY.

\Vitnesses:

M. J. GALLIGAN, AARON SoNNEHonN.

IIO

